Bank Wagering Game

• US 20080045341A1
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Englman, Allon
• Granted Patent: US 9,330,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

System and method are disclosed for conducting a group-wagering game in which players at several gaming terminals may play wagering games and win together. The method and system of the invention involves connecting a bank of gaming terminals to a bank server. The bank server automatically plays a group-wagering game on a periodic basis in which players at the gaming terminals in the bank of gaming terminals may participate. Depending on the outcome of the group-wagering game, eligible players may be awarded prizes outright, or they may be granted a group-bonus game. The prizes and awards won may depend on the amounts wagered at the gaming terminal.

Claims

1. A wagering game system, comprising:

a bank server for conducting a group-wagering game on a periodic basis;

a bank of gaming terminals, each gaming terminal connected to said bank server and conducting a terminal-level wagering game, each gaming terminal periodically forwarding wager data to said bank server to determine player eligibility for said group-wagering game; and

wherein, in response to a winning outcome for said group-wagering game, said bank server awarding a prize to eligible players at said bank of gaming terminals.

2. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein said bank server repetitiously conducts said group-wagering game at a known interval.

4. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein said eligibility of a player for said group-wagering game is determined by said bank server using said wager data.

5. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein said wager data does not include player identification information.

6. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein said prize that is awarded to said eligible players is based on said wager data.

8. The wagering game system according to claim 1, further comprising signage connected to said bank server for displaying said group-wagering game, said signage mounted near said bank of gaming terminals.

18. The wagering game system according to claim 1, wherein said bank server and said bank of gaming terminals are connected to at least one other bank server and at least one other bank of gaming terminals.

3. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

9. The wagering game system according to claim 7, wherein said signage is configured to display a prize distribution level indicator for indicating a prize distribution level based on said wager data.

10. The wagering game system according to claim 7, wherein said prize that is awarded to said eligible players is a group-bonus game.

11. The wagering game system according to claim 10, wherein said group-bonus game is a communal group-bonus game in which all eligible players may win.

12. The wagering game system according to claim 11, wherein said communal group-bonus game is a game in which a designated eligible player participates on behalf of other eligible players.

13. The wagering game system according to claim 10, wherein said group-bonus game is a competitive group-bonus game in which eligible players compete against one another.

14. The wagering game system according to claim 13, wherein said bank server is configured to award additional prizes to eligible players based on how well each eligible player performs in said group-bonus game.

15. The wagering game system according to claim 10, wherein said group-bonus game is conducted on said signage.

16. The wagering game system according to claim 10, wherein said group-bonus game is conducted on a display of one or more of said gaming terminals in said bank of gaming terminals.

17. The wagering game system according to claim 10, wherein players who are eligible for said group-bonus game retain their eligibility for a predetermined amount of time after said group-bonus game is announced.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. A gaming terminal, comprising:

a network interface unit for connecting said gaming terminal to a network in which a group-wagering game is conducted;

a wager tracking unit for tracking wager data at said gaming terminal, said wager tracking unit configured to periodically forward said wager data to said network via said network interface;

at least one display for displaying terminal-level wagering games conducted by said gaming terminal; and

wherein in response to a winning outcome for said group-wagering game conducted by said network, said at least one display displaying a group-bonus game conducted by said network.

31. The gaming terminal according to claim 30, wherein said terminal-level wagering games include a basic wagering game and a bonus wagering game.

32. The gaming terminal according to claim 30, wherein said gaming terminal is further configured to delay said group-bonus game until after completion of terminal-level wagering game.

33. The gaming terminal according to claim 30, wherein players at said gaming terminal remain anonymous to said gaming terminal.

34. The gaming terminal according to claim 30, wherein said at least one display is configured to display a group-game status indicator for displaying a status of said group-wagering game.

35. The gaming terminal according to claim 30, wherein said group-game status indicator is in the form of a virtual coin that represents a prize level available to players at said gaming terminal.

36. (canceled)

37. (canceled)

38. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

41. (canceled

42. (canceled)

43. (canceled)

44. (canceled)

45. (canceled)

46. (canceled)

47. (canceled)

48. (canceled)

49. (canceled)

50. (canceled)

51. (canceled)

52. (canceled)

53. (canceled)

54. (canceled)

55. A method of operating a gaming terminal, comprising:

conducting a terminal-level wagering game on said gaming terminal;

periodically transmitting wager data for said terminal-level wagering game from said gaming terminal to a server connected to said gaming terminal;

receiving and displaying on said gaming terminal information for a first session of a group-wagering game corresponding to a first set of transmitted wager data; and

receiving and displaying on said gaming terminal information for a second session of a group-wagering game corresponding to a second set of transmitted wager data.

56. The method according to claim 55, wherein said first and second sets of transmitted wager data do not include any information that can be used to identify a player of said gaming terminal.

57. The method according to claim 55, wherein said information for said first and second sessions of said group-wagering game includes game status for said group-wagering game.

58. The method according to claim 55, wherein said information for said first and second sessions of said group-wagering game includes an indicator of potential winnings for a player of said gaming terminal.